Cheryl has been asking me to go to a quilt retreat with her every year for the past four years, ever since she came back from the first one… This year everything finally came together and we just got back from a super weekend away!
I had my bags packed on Friday morning, ready for our early morning departure time… Well, 8.30 a.m. is definitely early for me… The roads were clear and we arrived promptly at the Illinois Beach Resort in Zion and had our pick of the tables to set up our work stations.
Here’s Cheryl all ready to start stitching…
The ball room had a wonderful view of the frozen shores of Lake Michigan…
A group of deer came along mid afternoon and posed for pics.
Saturday it snowed. Visibility dropped but we were warm and cosy inside and carried on sewing. Projects were finished and celebrated. Some took a break in the bar!
It was lovely having all our food provided. Marie has been organizing the retreat for five years and everything had been thought of. There were quilt related favors and treats at every meal. Door prizes were awarded regularly throughout the weekend. There was an abundance of great things to enjoy! I will take some pictures of all the goodies when I unpack my bags tomorrow.
The sun was shining by the time we came downstairs this morning. Here are Olga and Charon at their table.
And another view of the room, note design walls and finished tops in the background…
We packed up after lunch but I needed just one last view of the lake.
So now I’m back. You might be asking what did I get made while I was away? I have several projects in progress and will have photos soon. My Modern Quilt Guild Riley Blake Challenge just needs the binding stitched down…
January has been busy with trips to Wisconsin, California and Nevada. I’ll be staying closer to home for the next two months. That doesn’t mean I’ll be bored… I’m off to Batavia on Wednesday for some wool appliqué fun. I think 2014 is going to be a another adventure filled year!
